Winter holiday safety

NFPA provides a wealth of safety information to help ensure the holiday season is a safe one.

Festive celebrations, flickering lights and winter greens are hallmarks of the holiday season, but they also present fire risks that can quickly turn this festive time of year into a devastating one. NFPA works to educate the public about potential fire risks during the holidays, offering tip sheets, videos, and other resources to help everyone safely enjoy the season.

Winter holiday fires by the numbers

Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in 43% of home Christmas tree fires.

Two of every five (40%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room, family room, or den. Three-quarters of the fatalities and two-thirds of the associated injuries resulted from fires started in this area.

The top three days for home candle fires are Christmas, New Year’s Day and New Year's Eve.

Christmas tree & decoration fires

Carefully decorating your home can help make your holidays safer. Between 2012-2016, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 170 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 800 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.

Christmas tree disposalChristmas trees are combustible items that become increasing flammable as they continue to dry out in your home. One-third of home fires that begin with Christmas trees occur in January. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur they’re much more likely to be serious.

A live Christmas tree burn conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) shows just how quickly a dried out Christmas tree fire burns, with flashover occurring in less than one minute, as compared to a well-watered tree, which burns at a much slower rate.

Put a Freeze on Winter Fires

NFPA and USFA team up each year for "Put A Freeze on Winter Fires" to remind you that the winter months are the leading time of year for home fires. To help you stay safe, we’re providing a wealth of safety tips and information on cooking, heating, candles and holiday decorating – factors that contribute to the increased risk of home fires in the months ahead.